I somehow opened an external command filter by mistake

Question

I somehow opened an external command filter that was in the password server filters file- in my library, which is in my system folder. Can someone please tell me how bad I screwed up, and what I can do to get out of it.   Help        Your time is very much appreciated , David
Last login: Sat Nov 10 01:11:53 on console
Davids-MacBook-Pro:~ DavesPath$ /System/Library/Password\ Server\ Filters/ExternalCommandFilter ; exit;
/System/Library/Password Server Filters/ExternalCommandFilter -{c|p}This is a PasswordServer filter for when passwords
are changed.  All information is received as a plist
on stdin.
          -c        The password has been committed.
          -p        The password is being preflighted.
                        A non-zero exit status halts the change.
Option -c or -p is required
logout
[Process completed]

Answer 1

Kenneth the Dane wrote:
HELP HELP HELP
OUCH OUCH OUCH
+*Stop using the drive immediately+* to stop further loss due to files being overwritten.
You need specialized +Data Recovery+ software, or a service that performs the function. It's not cheap, and there are no guarantees.
The app mentioned here most often is +Data Rescue 3,+ but I haven't used it myself, so can't recommend it over any of the others.
Some of these have a free "trial mode," that will tell you if there's anything to be recovered, and perhaps recover a single file. For more, you have to pay the $$.
You'll also need another drive to receive anything it can recover.
PS. Will order a time machine after submitting this question
You already have +Time Machine.+ It's part of OSX Leopard and Snow Leopard. It can back up to an external drive, or a Time Capsule (Apple hardware - combination of wireless router and hard drive), or a shared drive on another Mac.
When you get to it, you might want to review these:
Time Machine Tutorial
Time Machine 101
How to back up and restore your files
Time Machine Features
Apple - Support - Mac OSX v10.5 Leopard Time Machine
and perhaps browse the Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip* at the top of this forum.
Look for apps or services under +Data Recovery+ via Google, VersionTracker.com, or MacUpdate.com.